Modibo Maiga intends to make Newcastle United regret their decision to pull
out of a long-standing deal to sign him last week.

Newcastle had finalised negotiations with the Mali international’s French club Sochaux and had hoped to confirm the striker’s £7m move as soon as the transfer window opened on Jan 1.

But the Magpies have cancelled the transfer as they were worried about the condition of his knee following tests in London last week.

That has angered both the player and Sochaux who resisted Newcastle’s repeated attempts to sign the 24-year-old in the summer before conceding there was no point trying to do so again in January.

And Maiga has pointed to the presence of Demba Ba in the Newcastle squad a year after he was turned down by Stoke for a similar reason -as he argued Alan Pardew may live to regret the decision to pull the plug on a deal that has been in place for months.

"I am mentally fine, I wanted that move to Newcastle badly," said Maiga. However, it did not happen as they said my knee has a problem - but I feel better than anything.

"There is a player at Newcastle now [Demba Ba], he was told at a Premier League medical that he had a knee problem, he then went to another and started scoring goals before his move to Newcastle.

"But I am strong in my head and up for it, I like Sochaux, but I am having a difficult time with the fans, they do not understand me.

"I love the Premier League and I want to play there, hopefully I will have another chance, my health is very good and my knees are.”

Sochaux threatened to report Newcastle to Fifa in the summer after officials allegedly met Maiga and his agent to discuss terms without their permission in France and manager Mecha Bazdarevic is also annoyed at their latest behaviour.

He said: “Is Modibo disturbed? He has been disturbed for two-and-half months and there is nothing new [there].”